Fountain pen with valve normally closing the air-and-ink tube



INK TUBE July 10, 1956 B. F. MIESSNER FOUNTAIN PEN WITH VALVE NORMALLY CLOSING THE AIR-AND- Filed April 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wz afz 'f BezyamrzzF/Wsszrar Fl:IIIlIIlllIlllIl/l/llll ill!!! lllliilruvl N m av -i UU J 1 NE N n July 10, 1956 B. F. MIESSNER FOUNTAIN PEN WITH VALVE NORMALLY CLOSING THE AIR-AND-INK TUBE Filed April 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zmw fiaz kmzkmesmen United States Patent OUNTAIN PEN WITH VALVE NORMALLY F CLOSING THE AIR-AND-INK TUBE Benjamin F. Miessner, Morristown, N. J.

Application April 26, 1954, Serial No. 425,593

11 Claims. (Cl. 12048) This invention relates to a special construction of a fountain pen which I have designed after a long series of experiments extending over a relatively long tlme including the use of numerous other types of pens which have been on the market including the study of advertlsements, patents and other literature relating to the fountain pen art.

In my co-pending application entitled Non-Flooding Fountain Pen, Serial No. 421,300, filed April 6, 1954 I have disclosed an entirely new and improved form of fountain pen in which means are provided for closing a valve that controls the flow of air and ink from the ink reservoir or barrel to the pen point and carried by the hood that is attached to the barrel. While indicating means are provided on said valve construction, for indicating when the valve is open or closed I have discovered that, due to the fact, if the user should forget to close the valve after it had been opened, either for filling the barrel reservoir or for filling the collector at the hood end of the pen at any time from the barrel reservoir, that there is one condition under which the pen might flood, i. e., if some air is in the barrel reservoir but with little ink, and the pen has not been warmed up for some little time by handling or writing, as when picked up from a desk or removed from ones pocket or' handbag, the whole pen and the air in the barrel being at room temperature of say, approximately 70 F., and the user then removes the cap, puts it on the barrel end of the structure and the user, instead of merely turning the pen point down and writing, for some reason does not immediately do so, but holds the barrel pen point upright in a hand for a certain time; the heat from the users hand is usually at 98 F., or approximately 30 warmer than the air in the barrel. This air will warm up and expand. If the control valve is open, because the user forgot to close it, the expanded air will push the ink from the barrel up through the air and ink tube and into the collector which may be quickly filled, if not already filled, so the ink rising through the ink tube will immediately begin to overflow the open ended hood and the ink then runs down its outside onto the users fingers. While admittedly this may occur only occasionally, but when it does happen it will be a nuisance and it is therefore the principal object of my present invention to provide a construction in which the foregoing trouble is entirely eliminated, as will be seen from the drawings and description which follows. in the drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale through one form of my prevent invention.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1 showing the automatic means for closing the valve.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the valve in partly opened position.

Figure 4 shows the valve during one step in the opening operation.

Figure 5 is a view of the valve in closed position but with means for opening it somewhat different from the means shown in Figures l-4.

Figure 6 is a view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 but with the different means illustrated in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a plan view of one of the parts used in the control means shown in Figure 5.

Figure 9 is a side view of Figure 8.

Figure 10 shows the device of Figure 8 folded up and partly in section as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the part that cooperates with the element shown in Figure 8.

Figure 12 is a view of the device shown in Figure 8 folded up and anchored to a ring member as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 13 is a plan view of a new and improved form of pen point used with my present invention.

Figure 14 is a view of Figure 13 turned 180.

Figure 15 is a section on the line 15-15 of Figure 13.

In the various views wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts 1 is the barrel reservoir of the pen for containing air and ink. This reservoir is flexible transversely but rigid longitudinally for the purposes to be later mentioned, while 2 is the hood operatively connected to the barrel 1. The air and ink tube is divided into two sections 3 and 4 which are interconnected by a flexible valve member 5 of a suitable material such as a good grade of soft rubber or plastic, to accomplish the purposes about to be described. The tube section 3 terminates at short distance 6 from the inner preferably rounded end 7 of the barrel 1, while the tubular section 4 extends through to an oval shaped opening 8 closely adjacent to the pen nibs. A second tube 10 and a third tube Ill are held in spaced relation of about .008 to .010 inch from the tubular section 4 and from each other by tubular spacers 31 located within a solid portion of the hood 2 where the inner ends of the tubes 10 and 10' are positioned. Each of the tubes 10 and 10 have at least one hole 11 and 11' located a short distance from the place where these tubes emerge from their hood support. The tube 10 has an oval shaped opening over the oval opening 8 of the tube section 4 and the tube 11 has a similar oval shaped opening over the other oval opening, all of which are closely adjacent the pen nibs.

Carried in a fixed position within the transversely flexible barrel 1 is a sprin band 14 of suitable noncorrosive metal. To the inner side of the band 14 is fastened a U-shaped member 15 of suitable wire that has considerable stiffness along the longitudinal length of its arms which are fastened as by brazing or spot welding to the ring band 14 at points 16 and 17 as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Also positioned around the valve member 5 diametrically opposite to the U-shaped member 15 is a pair of similarly U-shaped members 18 and 19, they being spaced on opposite sides of the member 15 as clearly shown in Figure 1. These U-shaped members 18 and 19 are brazed or spot welded to the band member 14 just the same as the member 15 is anchored thereto.

With this construction, when pressure is applied to the barrel 1 as indicated in Figure 4 the arms of the U-shaped members 15, 18 and 19 pass by each other and take off the pressure from the member 5 which will expand automatically as shown in Figure 4. With this construction, when pressure is released from the barrel over the ring 14 the ring band will expand to its normal position and draw the U-shaped members 15', 18 and 19 back to their normal position as shown in Figure 1, which act will automatically compress the tubular member 5 and completely close the valve.

In the place of the U-shaped wire construction shown in Figures 14 I may use a punched member 20 having a finger 21 and a member 22 having ends 23 and 24 connected by a link 25. When the member 22 is folded we have a somewhat U-shaped member as shown in Figure 10 made from flat stock. The holes through the ends 23 and 24 are larger than the diameter of the member so as to allow the member to expand as shown in Figure 4 and open the valve member 5. The hole in member 20 is also the same size as holes in 23 and 24- for the same purpose. Then the finger 21 and the link 25 are brazed or spot welded to the spring ring 14 the same as the U- shaped wires 15, 18 and 19. While two different means are illustrated for cooperation with the valve member 5 the operation of the two are identical with respect to opening and closing of the valve, it being understood that the opening is done manualy but it closes automatically when pressure is released from the spring ring 14. An auxiliary but important function of the valve members 15 and 1819 is to prevent over squeezing of the barrel 1, since the inner, opposite sides of band 14 act as stops for the free ends of members 15, 13 and H.

With respect to the pen point P a thin narrow strip 26 of spring metal of suitable non-corrosive material is spot welded at 27 to the pen point. In the outer end of the strip 26 is fastened as by welding a blade 28 preferably made of a platinum-iridium alloy or other hard, inkwettable metal which is noncorrosive. This blade is very thin, of the order of approximately .005". Its edge is sharp and is always positioned in the slit 29 between the pen nibs. The inner edge 30 is rounded longitudinally as well as transversely so that when pressure is applied to the pen nibs the upper edge will move between the nibs and clean out any obstructing material therein, and still allow ink to flow down to the free ends of the nibs. Furthermore, this construction automatically allows a heavier line to be made by a very slight tilting of the pen point, the nibs of which Will be moved according to the surface 30.

The rservoir 1 of this pen is filled by immersion of the pen point end in a container of ink, and at the same time, squeezing the barrel 1 across the valve member, as illustrated in Figure 4, to expell air. This opens the valve and, as the squeezing pressure is released, ink flows up through tube 4, open valve tube 5, and tube 3, into barrel l. A series of 5 or 6 such operations will completely fill barrel 1.

In the pen assemblies as described it will be readily understood that, when ink is passed through the tube sections 3 and 4 with the valve 5 opened for re-filling the collector as defined by the tubes, ink will pass out of the oval opening 8 and downwardly through the spaces between tubesd and it), looking at Figure l, and through the holes 11 and 11 and up within the space between v the tubes lit and ltl, and also up between the tube It) and the bore in the hood, and up to the pen shank, and through the hole 13 therein to the larger bore around the outer part of the pen shank. This new arrangement of spaced co-axial tubes provides a generous supply of ink to the pen nibs in a new and novel manner, whereby the objects of the invention are attained, especially the principal object thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A fountain pen having a hood carrying a pen point and a barrel type air and ink reservoir joined to the hood, the hood also acting as the main support for an air and ink tube divided into two sections, for carrying air and ink to the pen point, a flexible member of suitable material forming a valve union member between said two sections, and means normally pressing against said flexible member to maintain the valve shut, said means being responsive to pressure applied to the barrel diamertically across the central part of said union member, to allow said member to assume a valve open position.

2. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said means includes a band of relatively thin metal of suitable material positioned against the inner wall of the barrel, and at least a pair of curvilinearly shaped members disposed diametrically one on each side of the said union member and each having extending parts fastened to said ring as and for the purpose described.

3. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said means includes a band of relatively thin metal of suitable material positioned against the inner wall of the barrel, a U-shaped member freely encompassing the valve union member and having its arm ends fastened to said ring and at least one other U-shaped member freely encompassing said valve member adjacent the first U-shaped member but extending diamertically in an opposite direction and with its arm ends fastened to said ring for the purpose described.

4. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said means includes a ring of relatively thin metal of suitable material positioned against the inner wall of the barrel, a U-shaped member freely encompassing the valve union member and having its arm ends fastened to said ring and a pair of U-shaped members freely encompassing said valve member, one on each side of the first-mentioned U-shaped member but extending diamertically in an opposite direction and having its arm ends fastened to said ring for the purpose described.

5. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said means includes a ring of relatively thin metal of suitable material positioned against the inner wall of the barrel and at least a pair of curvilinearly shaped members disposed diamertically one on each side of the said union member and each having extending parts fastened to said ring and further defined in that the curvilinearly shaped members are in wire form.

6. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that said means includes a ring of relatively thin metal of suitable material positioned against the inner wall of the barrel and at least a pair of curvilinearly shaped members disposed diametrically one on each side of the said union member and each having extending parts fastened to said ring and further defined in that the curvilinearly shaped members are made from flat stock and have projections which are fastened as by welding to said ring.

7. A fountain pen having a hood carrying a pen point and barrel type reservoir fastened to the hood, the barrel being only transversely compressible, an air and ink tube divided in two sections joined in longitudinal spaced relation by a tube of suitable flexible material acting as a valve, the said air and ink tube extending from a point near the pen nibs to a point near the end of the barrel farthest from the hood, a relatively narrow metal ring of suitable springy material positioned against the inner wall of the barrel at a position opposite the longitudinal midsection of said flexible tube, a plurality of members having arcuate surfaces for freely engaging said flexible tube preferably at its midsection, said members having stiff arms extending to said ring and fastened thereto whereby due to normal pull on said arms by the said ring, the said members having the arcuate surfaces will be moved so as to grip the said flexible tube and move it into a closed position, said ring being actuatable by pressure on the barrel over the ring to remove the grip on the tube so it will automatically move to open position.

8. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 7 further defined in that said members having the arcuate surfaces for engaging the flexible valve tube are preferably arranged two on one side and one on the opposite side of the valve tube but positioned between the said two whereby the lateral side of the members act to keep themselves in operative alignment.

9. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 7 further defined in that said members having the arcuate surfaces for engaging the flexible valve tube are each in the form of a U with the ends of the arms of the U fastened to the said ring while the curved part of the U partially encircles the valve tube as and for the purpose described.

10. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 7 further defined in that said members having the arcuate surfaces for engaging the flexible valve tube are made from a piece of relatively thin flat metal of suitable material, the arcuate surfaces defining holes which fit loosely over the valve tube While a stud extends from the outer surface of the material having the hole therein to said ring to which they are fastened as and for the purpose described.

ll. A fountain pen having a hood and an interconnected air and ink barrel which is radially compressible but rigid longitudinally, an air and ink tube extending from the inner extremity of the barrel to a point near the pen nibs, the air and ink tube having two sections joined by a tubular flexible member and means carried Within the barrel and operatively connected between the barrel and said tubular flexible member, said means n01- maily exerting a pressure on the flexible tubular member to completely close it, said means being responsive to pressure on the barrel at proper points to allow the flexible member to move to open position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cuthbert Oct. 26, 1937 Andrews Nov. 9, 1937 Carlisle Dec. 12, 1939 Wing Jan. 8, 1952 Kockendoerffer Mar. 4, 1952 Miessner June 16, 1953 Miessner Feb, 16, 1954 Miessner Feb. 16, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Nov. 2, 1911 

